And all the stories had, somewhere, the witch. The wicked old witch. And Tiffany had thought: Where's the evidence?

Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder. Elves are marvellous. They cause marvels. Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies. Elves are glamorous. They project glamour. Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment. Elves are terrific. They beget terror. The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look for them behind words that have changed their meaning. No one ever said elves are nice. Elves are bad.

By the time you've reached your sixties, you do know that one day you will die, and knowing that is at least the beginning of wisdom.

YOU FEAR TO DIE? "It's not that I don't want... I mean, I've always...it's just that life is a habit that's hard to break.

The Kappamaki, a whaling research ship, was currently researching the question: How many whales can you catch in one week?

Many feel they are called to the priesthood, but what they really hear is an inner voice saying, 'It's indoor work with no heavy lifting, do you want to be a ploughman like your father?'

The English were notoriously unenthusiastic about burning witches. I suppose ours were too soggy.